


Forever Is The Sweetest Con

by bookwormforalways



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Secret Relationship, Slow Dancing, Teacher AU, Valentine's Day, student gossip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29387106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwormforalways/pseuds/bookwormforalways
Summary: In order to protect the arts programs and her teaching job from budget cuts, Clarke agreed to keep her relationship hidden. She hates the lies, the secrets, and the fear of Wallace’s blackmail leaving her unemployed. But it will all be worth it if it means giving her students the opportunities they deserve.Meanwhile, Clarke's students have decided that she’s in love with another teacher, and become determined to give the two teachers a nudge toward each other at the Valentine’s Day dance.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 133
Collections: bellarkescord valentine gift exchange 2021





	Forever Is The Sweetest Con

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenoftheWallflowers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenoftheWallflowers/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day! 💕  
> Written for Pris as part of the bellarkes discord Valentine's gift exchange, for the prompt "blush". 
> 
>   
> this fic gave off subtle 'cowboy like me' (by taylor swift) vibes, so it was only fitting to use a lyric for the title

“Hey Madi, remember last week when you said you think Miss Griffin has a crush on Mr. Blake?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I think he likes her too. Like, _likes_ likes her.”

“Wait, what happened?”

“So I’m in Miss Griffin’s third period art class, right? And Mr. Blake came by today - apparently something was delivered to his classroom by mistake. But then he stayed to help us finish up the decorations for the dance.”

“No way!”

“Yeah. And they were flirting the whole time.”

“Wait, what?”

“You know how Mr. Blake’s never happy when he’s lunch monitor - he’s always kinda grumpy, right? But then he was smiling last week when Miss Griffin filled in, when Mr. Murphy was out sick? Like, they were actually laughing. That happened again in art class.”

“See! Char, I told you they like each other! But they’re not together… I wonder why not?”

“Madi. That’s your scheming face. No, no, no. What are you thinking?”

“Well, clearly they’re in love with each other, but they just need a little push in the right direction, toward each other. And once they’re together, they’ll be happier - and then maybe Mr. Blake will raise my English mark. I totally bombed the last essay.”

“You’re crazy, that will never work. It only happens in movies, like Clueless.”

“Whatever. You know, they’re both going to be at the dance tonight. Maybe we can push them toward each other. Give them a nudge in the right direction. It is Valentine’s Day after all.”

* * *

Clarke continued taking slow steps around the perimeter of the gym, the click of her heels hardly audible over the music blasting through the speakers. Her team of students had really done an amazing job decorating the enormous space. Especially considering the minuscule budget they’d had to work with this year. After weeks of planning DIY decorations, Clarke was proud of her students for putting together this final product. 

While chaperoning a freshmen school dance wasn’t the most romantic way to spend her Valentine’s Day, Clarke knew this dance meant a lot to her students. That’s why she taught art, why she volunteered as the faculty representative for student council, and why she gave up a few weekends and evenings throughout the year to chaperone at extracurricular events - all because she loved her students. 

She played with the necklace she wore, twisting it around her finger. The chain was new, and purposefully long. It dipped under the top of her dress, holding a diamond engagement ring that she kept hidden. 

Clarke really did love her students, and she would do anything for them, even if it meant keeping her engagement a secret from the students and faculty. 

Leaning against the back wall of the gym, she surveyed the crowd of teenagers. She took her chaperone duties seriously, and kept a careful watch for inappropriate behaviours, wanting the students to have fun and not an evening they would regret. 

Amid the loud music and thumping bass line, she heard laughter and snippets of conversation. It brought a smile to her face to know that her students were enjoying the night so far. She had fond memories of her own high school dances, of getting all dressed up with her friends, and spending the whole night laughing. 

Those memories were distant now, but Clarke was determined to make sure her students enjoyed their high school years - a feat made difficult due to the school’s dispassionate administration and continual lack of funding. When she’d accepted this teaching position, she had known it wasn’t the best school in the district - but she hadn’t expected to find the administration scheming and underhanded behind the scenes. 

“Why, if it isn’t the lovely Miss Griffin,” a deep voice said. “Now this is much different from the paint-splattered clothes you were wearing in class earlier today.”

Bellamy, or Mr. Blake to the students, took a long look at the red dress she wore, before returning his focus to the students on the dance floor. She felt her cheeks flush at his stare, and knew she made the right choice selecting this dress for tonight. It was modest, covering her cleavage appropriately, but the fabric hugged her waist and all her other curves perfectly. 

But he was right. Her dress was very different from the paint-splattered smock she normally wore in the art room - the art room where he’d spent his entire free period today helping her students finish the colourful balloon arch now displayed at the dance. 

“Well, I’ll have you know, there was a dress code to adhere to,” Clarke replied, her voice louder than a whisper to be heard above the music. 

“Unfortunately, I am well aware of that,” he answered back, pulling on the end of his tie, with an exaggerated grimace on his face. 

“Did I already say thank you for helping out tonight,” Clarke asked, a cheeky grin on her face. “If not, _thank you_ for suffering through the horrors of wearing a tie.”

Bellamy glanced over at her again, amusement lining his features at her teasing. “Only for you,” he said finally, his voice quiet, barely above a whisper. 

Clarke nodded once in agreement, and swallowed. “For the kids, you mean.” 

“Yeah, that too,” he added, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring back out at the crowd of students, still leaning against the wall next to her. 

They stood there for a moment, not talking, simply observing the grandiosity of the event. With the lights dimmed, and the decorations in place, the school gym was truly transformed.

As the music changed to another song with an upbeat tempo, the teenagers all responded with a similar dance move, as their laughter rose above the melody. Clarke bit her lip to keep from outwardly laughing at the sight, knowing the dance trend must be popular on tiktok or instagram, or whatever the kids were on these days. 

“What are they doing?” Bellamy asked, a mixture of awe and secondhand embarrassment in his tone. He scratched his jaw, “We were never that obnoxious as teenagers, were we?”

Clarke rolled her eyes at him, “No, you were probably too cool for school dances, right?” 

Bellamy turned to face her, his mouth opened to reply, but the retort died on his lips as his attention moved elsewhere. 

She crossed her arms, and felt smug satisfaction at the way his eyes darted down to her chest. She knew his eyes were following the necklace she wore, the chain disappearing down the front of her dress.

“My eyes are up here,” Clarke teased, raising an eyebrow at him as he quickly lifted his gaze up to meet hers. 

He shrugged innocently, as if catching him staring at her cleavage wasn’t breaking a half dozen human resource rules at the school. 

But his dark stare reminded her that Bellamy didn’t need to imagine what she looked like under her dress. Clarke knew full well what it was like to have his bare skin against hers.

“You know, I’m engaged now. I have a feeling my fiancé wouldn’t take too kindly to you looking at me like that,” she said, choosing her words carefully to see if she could make him flustered for once. Usually it was him teasing and taunting her, to see if he could make her blush and get flustered in front of the students.

But with Bellamy’s darker complexion and the dance lighting, Clarke couldn’t tell if he was blushing. 

“You’re right,” Bellamy answered simply. 

But by the way his voice had changed, deeper in tone, with a huskier edge, Clarke knew she had won that match. 

“Though if your fiancé was smart, he’d never have let you out of the house in that dress.” Bellamy sent a look in her direction, cocking his eyebrows at the unspoken challenge, before turning and walking away with the last word. 

Clarke watched Bellamy walk away as he headed toward the refreshment’s table, where their friend and co-worker, Murphy, was keeping a careful eye on the drinks, snacks, and Valentine’s candy. 

She couldn’t deny the way Bellamy’s stare made her skin flush with excitement, or the way her nerves sparked when he looked at her with those deep brown eyes. And Clarke certainly couldn’t deny the smug pleasure she felt knowing that he was pleased by the dress she wore, knowing she looked her best for him. 

* * *

“Hey, Char, did you see that?”

“What?”

“Mr. Blake and Miss Griffin. They were just over there talking, by the back wall.”

“Oh, her dress is so pretty!”

“Madi, you might be right. Mr. Blake was staring at her. It was like, major heart eye energy.”

“Ew, gross.”

“Did Miss. Griffin smile back at him? Was she laughing? She only ever laughs when he’s around, now that I think about it.”

“Wait, I have an idea! Luca, you have your camera right? For the newspaper?”

“Yeah, I’m supposed to take pictures of the dance.”

“Go take a picture of them. Make sure to tell them to stand close together, like, right beside each other. Tell Mr. Blake to put his arm around Miss. Griffin.”

“Mads, you’re crazy.”

“Luca, just do it.”

“Fine.”

* * *

“Something tells me there’s more to that picture. That it’s not just for the school paper,” Clarke mused to Bellamy, as Luca walked back toward his friends. 

“What? No,” Bellamy countered. “Luca’s a good kid. He’s not a troublemaker.”

Clarke bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. “No, you’re right. But he’s friends with her.” They both watched Luca weave through the crowd toward his friends, and toward Madi who held out her hands eagerly for the camera. “And we both know she’s trouble.”

Bellamy shoved his hands in his pockets. “Of course Madi’s trouble. Which is ironic coming from you. She’s like a mini Clarke.”

“Hey!” Clarke retorted, trying to elbow him, but Bellamy moved out of the way quickly to avoid it. 

“What? It’s true.”

Clarke turned her head up to shoot a glare at Bellamy, where he stood out of reach of her elbow, just in case she retaliated once more. 

She didn’t. Instead she began to slowly walk around the gym, taking another lap around the perimeter as Bellamy kept pace beside her. 

As they passed the refreshments table, Clarke snagged a handful of Valentine’s candy. They were her favourites, the heart shaped candies that melted in her mouth. 

“Want one?” Clarke held out her hand to Bellamy, offering him some of her Valentine’s candy. 

Bellamy shook his head, and kept walking with his hands in his pockets. “No thanks, I’ve got enough sweetness in my life,” he answered with a sly wink. 

Clarke rolled her eyes at him, but that was the only reaction he’d get for his terrible pun. 

Popping another candy into her mouth, she turned her attention back to the dance floor. As her eyes roved over the crowds of students, she locked eyes with Madi, who appeared to be watching Clarke carefully, but then quickly looked away as if she’d been caught.

“Why does it feel like they’re watching us?” Clarke asked, pausing to look over at Bellamy. 

He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the dark curls in a devilishly handsome fashion. “I mean, you do look amazing in that dress, but if that’s the reason they’re staring at you, we’ve got bigger problems,” Bellamy said with a smirk. And then shrugged, “They’re probably just trying to set us up or something, having fun at our expense.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, Clarke tried to fight the smile off of her face. Somehow Bellamy managed to not only distract her, but compliment her at the same time. It was moments like this that she was grateful Bellamy was one of her very best friends, that he was someone who knew her almost better than she knew herself. 

As much as they both loved working with their students, the school they worked for was in need of some major improvements. The principal, a man named Dante Wallace, was always too eager to cut the arts programs in favour of the sports teams, and boasted of test scores rather than student achievements. All in all, it was a small miracle that Clarke hadn’t yet quit her job, and an even greater miracle that this school, despite its many flaws, had brought Bellamy into her life.

Straightening her posture, Clarke glanced over her shoulder, and was happy to see Madi, Luca, and the rest of their friend group distracted by the photo booth, searching the tables for the perfect props. 

She turned back to face Bellamy. “You can’t say things like that out loud, remember?” She raised an eyebrow at him, and lifted a hand to play with her necklace chain, knowing her next words would rile him up. “It might be a secret, but I’m still engaged.”

His eyes darkened possessively at her teasing. “I couldn’t forget that tidbit of information if I tried.”

Before she could reply, they heard Murphy call for Bellamy from the refreshment area. 

“You’d better go help him,” Clarke said. 

Bellamy nodded once, his eyes darting once more to where her necklace dipped below her dress. “I’ll see you around,” he said, and walked away to help their co-worker. 

Her stomach dipped in excitement at his focused glance, and Clarke couldn’t help but admire Bellamy as he walked away, feeling her cheeks blush as she stared. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she wiped her clammy palms on the skirt of her dress. Clarke surveyed the students dancing nearby, waving to a group of girls from one of her art classes, happy to see their wide smiles and free spirits.

She paced back and forth along the side wall of the gym, pausing once to caution a young couple who were dancing a little bit closer than the six inches of separation required. 

“Ah, Miss Griffin, there you are,” Principal Wallace said, as he approached, holding a cup of fruit punch in his hands. “Now this event turned out incredible, I can’t believe you managed to make this dance happen, especially considering the budget was so small this year. I’m glad we didn’t have to cancel, the students would have been devastated.”

Clarke smiled politely, knowing Wallace truly didn’t care about the dance one bit, as he had been the one to slash the budget. “Thank you. You know, it’s amazing what you can DIY these days, and the kids were more than happy to put in a few extra hours of work to make the decorations.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear,” Wallace said. “I knew I was right to put you in charge. You’re an excellent role model for these students, showing them what a little hard work and a determined spirit can do.”

“Thank you, Principal Wallace,” Clarke answered carefully, though inside she was seething at the way he twisted his words to portray himself as generous and thoughtful. “I’m sure everyone else can agree that we’re all here to support the students. We’re all educators, right?”

“Yes, yes of course,” he nodded, taking the final sip of his punch. “But you seem to always go above and beyond to help your students out. It’s extremely generous of you.” 

He placed the empty cup on a nearby table, and Clarke rolled her eyes while his back was turned. 

“Now, Miss Griffin, what would you say to a quick spin around the dance floor?” Wallace held out his hand. 

She was in no position to refuse his invitation. With another polite smile, Clarke accepted his offer, and let her boss lead her to the dance floor. 

* * *

“What’s Miss Griffin doing? Why is she dancing with Principal Wallace?”

“Wait, what?”

“See, over there? She’s dancing with him.”

“He’s her boss, she probably couldn’t say no.”

“Guys, tell me you see it now. Can’t you see how miserable Miss Griffin looks? But remember how happy she was with Mr. Blake a few minutes ago?”

“Well, duh. Wallace is old and creepy. And Mr. Blake is hot.”

“Ew, that’s gross.”

“You know we have to do something.”

“Madi? I know you have a crazy plan in mind. Just tell us what it is, so we can get it over with.”

“It’s not crazy, it’s sensible. And for that, you don’t get to help me. I’m going to find Mr. Blake and tell him to cut in, to rescue Miss Griffin. It’s what a gentleman would do. If he does it, he loves her. That’ll prove it.”

“Still seems crazy to me, hey, Rex?”

“Jordan, shut up.”

“I can’t believe she’s actually going to talk to him.”

“It’s never going to happen.”

“Oh my gosh, it’s actually working! Mr. Blake’s walking over now! Madi’s a genius.”

“Shut up, Charlotte.”

* * *

It wasn’t the worst dance of Clarke’s life - no, she’d had her fair share of awkward encounters at the galas and events she’d grown up attending with her parents. But it certainly wasn’t the best dance of her life, either. Far from it. 

Clarke sighed a breath of relief when she saw a familiar silhouette approaching, hopefully to rescue her. 

Bellamy stepped forward, close enough to interrupt the dance. 

“Hi, Principal Wallace. Do you mind if I steal Miss Griffin for a dance?”

In a show of good sportsmanship, Principal Wallace passed Clarke’s hand over to Bellamy. He also leaned toward Bellamy, making a comment in Bellamy’s ear that Clarke couldn’t hear, before leaving the dance floor. 

But whatever the principal said made Bellamy smile. 

Effortlessly, Bellamy linked hands with Clarke, resting his right hand on the curve of her waist. Swaying slowly to the beat of the music, they danced. And of course, they kept a respectable six inches of distance between them, having to set a good example for the kids after all. 

“What was that all about?” Clarke asked, curiously. 

“A little birdie told me you needed rescuing from our creepy pervert of a boss,” Bellamy shared, nodding his head in Madi’s direction. 

Their earlier assessment was correct, and that girl was indeed a troublemaker. But Clarke much preferred dancing with Bellamy to Principal Wallace, so she wasn’t about to complain. 

“Ah. I mean, I wouldn’t phrase it like that, but she wasn’t wrong,” Clarke admitted softly. “What did Wallace say to you?” 

With his head held high and a twinkle in his eye, Bellamy had the audacity to wink at her instead of answering. 

It was charming, Clarke had to admit, seeing his confidence. That, plus the heat from his touch, the warmth from his skin on hers where their hands were joined, made her pulse race. 

“Come on, tell me,” she urged, looking up at him through her lashes. 

He chuckled softly. “You know I can’t say no to those eyes.”

Bellamy took a step to his left, and used the motion to spin Clarke out, keeping her anchored by their linked hands. When she whirled back around, giggling from the sudden spin, Bellamy had a boyish grin on his face.

He lowered his voice, and his gaze darkened. “Wallace said that your future husband is one hell of a lucky man, to be marrying you.”

Feeling her face flush, Clarke made the mistake of looking down. She was standing too close to Bellamy, and instead of staring at her feet, all she had was a view of waist. Which only made her blush more deeply. She wouldn’t be surprised if her cheeks matched her red dress by now.

Feeling the gentlest squeeze from his fingers, she looked back up at Bellamy. The concern on his face seemed to be asking if she was alright. 

“You can’t say that so loudly,” Clarke finally said, shaking her head softly. “It’s a secret, remember?”

With a frustrated sigh, Bellamy agreed, “Oh, I remember, princess.” 

His fingers tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her a fraction of an inch closer. A possessive gesture to match the nickname claiming her as his. Clarke hoped it was an imperceptible change to any outside observers, because it made her want to fully close the distance between them, and fold herself into his strong embrace. 

But she couldn’t. 

There were too many watchful eyes. If she slipped up, the news would spread through the students’ gossip like a wildfire. It would be all over the school in a matter of minutes. 

And Clarke couldn’t let that happen. At least, not _yet_. Not when she’d promised to keep her relationship a secret for the kids’ sake. 

She’d made a deal with the devil, and Clarke intended to hold up her end of the bargain. And that meant hiding her engagement ring on its chain for another five weeks, until the Spring Fundraiser was over. 

The school desperately needed donations to keep the arts programs running, thanks to Wallace’s ongoing budget cuts. And if they came up short this year, the spring musical would be cancelled. This would mean all of the art, music, and drama students would lose out on their favourite event of the school year, and the seniors would have nothing to showcase for colleges. And if the arts program was completely cancelled from lack of funding, Clarke wouldn’t have a job in the fall. 

Using this leverage, Wallace had convinced Clarke to keep her relationship hush hush so that the school’s wealthiest donor, a single father who had a fat wallet and an enormous crush on Clarke, would make the donation they desperately needed. 

Clarke hated the lies, the secrets, and the fear of Wallace’s blackmail leaving her unemployed. But it would all be worth it if it meant giving her students the opportunities they deserved. 

So Clarke took a deep breath and squeezed Bellamy’s hand once for reassurance. She increased the distance between them by a few inches as they danced, moving in time to the music. And when the song ended, Clarke stepped away from Bellamy, leaving him on the dance floor while she circled the gym perimeter, alone this time. She couldn’t let herself be distracted by Bellamy, so Clarke made the effort to focus on her chaperoning duties. 

* * *

“Wow. Madi, I can’t believe that worked.”

“See, look at them dance. They’re _so_ in love.”

“Whatever.”

“Do you think they’ll get married?”

“I think they’d be really cute together. Mr. Blake’s like, the perfect height for her.”

“Miss Griffin’s wearing heels, dummy. And besides, it doesn’t matter how tall they are, all that matters is that they love each other, and they clearly do.”

“Man, girls are weird. How can you tell all of that from watching two people dance?”

“It’s romance, Rex, not rocket science.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, crap. My ride’s here. I wanted to see if they’d leave together.”

“Madi, it’s kinda creepy that you’re so invested in our teachers’ love lives.”

“Well, they’re clearly in love, and not doing anything about it. Is it really so terrible for me to give them a gentle push in the right direction?”

“It definitely wasn’t subtle, if that’s what you were going for.”

“Shut up, Jordan. You know, they’re going to start dating soon, and then I’ll get to say ‘I told you so’ to you all.”

“Sure thing, Madi. In your dreams.”

“In her crazy dreams, more like it.”

“Ugh, boys suck. Come on Charlotte, let’s go.” 

* * *

Stepping into her apartment, Clarke unzipped her coat, and let the tension roll off her shoulders. 

As much as she loved her job and helping out with student events, she loved being at home even more. 

At home, Clarke didn’t have to hide or worry about who might be watching. At home, she could wear her engagement ring on her finger, where it belonged. At home, she could kiss her fiancé whenever she wanted to.

Leaning down to undo the straps on her heels, she lost her balance and began to fall. Before Clarke could catch herself on the wall, a strong hand gripped her waist and held her steady. 

“Easy there, princess,” a deep voice said, pulling her flush against his body. “I’d hate for you to survive the entire dance in those heels, only to hurt yourself now.”

She spun around in her arms to face Bellamy, threading her arms up around his neck and she leaned in for a kiss. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” she admitted softly, pressing another kiss to his lips. 

“I wouldn’t have stopped you, if you did,” he murmured against her mouth. 

Tucking her head into Bellamy’s shoulder, Clarke sighed. “I can’t wait for all of these secrets to be over. I’m so sick of hiding this.” 

Bellamy hugged her close. “Only five more weeks, princess. And it’s for the kids. That’s why we agreed to this, right?” 

Wallace had made the same deal with Bellamy, wanting to extort a rich divorcée for donation funds. Clarke hated the idea of leaving Bellamy prey to a woman who flashed her extravagant jewelry as she clawed her way to Bellamy’s side during every fundraiser, angling for more than a parent teacher conference. 

While Bellamy’s job as an English teacher wasn’t on the line if the arts program fell through, Bellamy had agreed to the nefarious plan for Clarke’s sake. They were engaged now, a team, working together through hell or high water - and working with Wallace was certainly a form of hell. 

They both knew it was wrong to trick the parents and donors like this, but Clarke and Bellamy had no other options to save the art and drama programs. They took solace in the fact that it was only five more weeks, and then the lies would be over after the event. And at the end of the following school year, Principal Wallace would retire, leaving the much more responsible Vice Principal Kane in charge for the next year. And Kane had already promised the faculty that he would redo the budgets and continue the arts programs. 

“Once those donations are in, and we know the art program’s safe, we’ll come clean, I promise. The lying will be over soon, but you and me, that’s forever,” Bellamy added, kissing her hair sweetly. 

Clarke melted into his embrace, letting his works sink in. _Forever_. She loved the sound of that. 

Stepping away from their hug, Bellamy kicked off his own shoes and shrugged off his suit jacket, hanging it on the back of a kitchen chair. With her own heels off, Clarke pulled the pins from her hair, letting it fall loose around her shoulders as she followed him into the kitchen. 

“C’mere,” Bellamy said softly, unknotting his tie and throwing it on the table, where it landed next to the vase of red roses he’d had delivered for her that morning. 

Clarke stepped into her fiancé’s embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck once more. His large hands found her waist and held her close, much closer than the six inches of distance between them earlier that evening. 

And then Bellamy began to sway slightly, moving left and right. 

“What are you doing?” Clarke asked quietly, turning her head to look at him. 

He kissed her, and then answered, “Dancing with the most beautiful woman I know.”

Clarke felt her face blush at his compliment and nudged her nose against his jaw. She let her body follow his lead, and swayed along with him. 

“But there’s no music?”

“Who cares?” Bellamy murmured, leaning down for another kiss. 

It was peaceful in the kitchen, just the two of them, finally alone - a stark contrast from the busy gym full of teenagers and watching eyes. It was cozy in the kitchen as well, with the only light coming from the small light above the stovetop. 

Clarke nuzzled closer into Bellamy’s arms, fitting her body against his. They fit together perfectly, and she knew she belonged right by his side, just like this. 

Bellamy chuckled softly, and Clarke felt his cheeks move as he smiled. 

She lifted her head to look at him, silently asking him what was so funny. 

“I can’t believe Madi’s on to us,” he murmured, still grinning widely. “Those darn kids are going to out us before the fundraiser, and all the secrets will be for nothing.”

Clarke grinned back and teased, “Well, maybe if someone didn’t keep staring at my boobs all the time…”

He stopped swaying, and shook his head slightly. “I’m not staring at your boobs,” Bellamy said, and then quickly corrected himself, “I mean, they’re great and I love them. But I’m usually staring at this.”

Bellamy pulled the delicate necklace chain from her neck, bringing the engagement ring out from its hiding place. 

“Oh,” Clarke said softly, brushing his hand with hers as she clasped the ring. With well-practiced motions, she slipped the ring free from the chain and slid it onto her finger. 

“That’s better,” Bellamy whispered, picking up her left hand and kissing the ring, all while keeping his dark eyes on her. 

Excitement pooled in her stomach at the heat and desire in Bellamy’s eyes. Putting her right hand behind his neck, Clarke pulled him to her for another kiss. This was what she’d been craving all day, being able to hold and kiss Bellamy. It had been incredibly difficult not to flirt with him while he’d helped her art class with the decorations, and even harder not to reach out and touch him or hold his hand at the dance. 

Breaking away from the kiss, Bellamy began to sway again, and Clarke moved with him, dancing together in their kitchen with no music on. 

“I can’t wait to show you off, for everyone to know you’re mine,” Bellamy whispered, his hand wandering from her waist to her back and then lower. “You’ll be able to wear your ring, we can hold hands in the hallways, eat lunch together everyday, not just when we’re assigned lunch monitors.”

“That sounds amazing,” Clarke agreed, resting her forehead against Bellamy’s chest. Her hands traced the strong lines of his shoulder, and up the planes of his back, threading into the soft curls at the base of his neck. “Though, after tonight, I’m curious to see what the student’s think of all this. Especially Madi.”

“They’ll be excited for a few weeks, and then forget about it over summer break,” Bellamy offered. 

But Clarke grinned, “And then we’ll see how many kids notice that they’ve been assigned to art class with Mrs. Blake, instead of Miss Griffin.” 

“Mrs. Blake,” Bellamy repeated, his voice soft and slightly in awe. “I love the sound of that.”

He captured her lips in another kiss, somehow pulling Clarke even closer in his arms, even though they were already pressed together. This time the kiss grew heated, as they both poured love and excitement and desire into the kiss. 

As she melted into her fiancé’s embrace, Clarke celebrated the fact that she didn’t need to hide this moment. As she kissed Bellamy back, she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life, and the rest of her Valentine’s Days with the best man she’d ever known. 

* * *

_(five weeks later)_

“Hey, Char, I got your text. What’s up?”

“Ohmygosh, thank goodness you’re here Mads. _Look_!!”

“Oh. My. Gosh. _Ahhh!_ They’re holding hands?!”

“See? You were right! Mr. Blake and Miss Griffin are dating!”

“Finally!!”

“I can’t believe it.” 

“I can’t wait to say ‘I told you so’ to those dumb boys. They wouldn’t understand romance if it hit them in the face.”

“How long do you think they’ve been together? Do you think they hooked up after the dance?”

“I don’t know, maybe…”

“They seem really happy, I mean, Mr. Blake never looks that happy. He’s always grouchy in first period English.”

“They’re perfect together. I knew they would be. This totally made my day. And- _ohmygosh_! Is that a ring?!”

“It is?!”

“Holy hell. They’re getting _married?!_ ”

“No way!”

“This is the best thing ever! I can’t wait to rub it in Luca’s face.”

“Hey, Madi. We could hear you girls from across the quad. What’s going on?”

“ _Look_! I told you so, Rex! Luca, see I was right! Mr. Blake and Miss Griffin are engaged! I told you they were in love!”

**Author's Note:**

> heya! come say hi on [tumblr!](https://bookwormforalways.tumblr.com/post/643149671866482688/forever-is-the-sweetest-con-a-bellarke-fic-written) 💜


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